Carbon paper pack



J. A. HECKMAN CARBON PAPER PACK June 17, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Filed NOV. 17. 1949 Patented June 17, 1952 vUNITED STATES' PATENT oFFica-l John A. Heckman, Wheeling, Ill.

Application November 17, 1949, Serial No.`127,893

Claims. Y l

The present invention relates to multiple reproduction of printed impressions and, more particularly, to a manifold packet of transfer material, as, for example, carbon paper, which may be inter-leaved between superposed layers of stationery to legibly reproduce impressions made by. a-,machine of the manifold type.

The principal object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for more economically and Aefficiently repeatedly reproducing imprints made in a sheet of stationery, and a particular object isthe provision of apparatus for use with a manifold type machine which is adaptedto print a multiplicity of layers of a fan folded sheet.

Further objects of the invention include the provision of a packet of transfer material which may be easily attached and detached from an associated machine; which will provide successive panels of transfer material for use at the desired` times with a minimum of diiliculty; which will permit use of all of the transfer material in the course of operation; which will allow. intermittent, measured unfolding of the transfer material without damage to even the Weakest of these materials; and which will provide additional transfer material without manual handling thereof.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequent description of an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of apparatus in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a View, in side elevation, showing a single packet of transfer material which is adapted for use in the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an expanded or exploded view of a portion of the packet;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the packet of transfer material shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View cfa portion ofthe packet to illustrate the stitch used in detachably securing each fold to the backing sheet;

lFigure 6 is a transverse sectiontaken along line 6 6 in Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to theV drawings,

theapparatus illustrated in Figure 1 comprises Ia portion of a manifold machine, generally designated as I, which includes a movable carriage 3, supporting means 5, a platen 1, type bar 9, and a knife blade I I which it attached to the carriage supporting means 5 to aid in tearing olf typed or printed sheets.

`The carriage 3 includes a main frame structure I3 which may be fabricated from suitable metallic sections and an L-shaped control arm I5 which is riveted to the main frame I3 as shown at I1. The control arm I5` extends forwardly, i. e. toward the platen` 1, and, for convenience .in operation, the extended'fend of the arm I5 is provided with a knob I9. In operation, the knob I9.is pushed to move the carriage 3 rearwardly on the `supporting structure 5 and in order tofacilitate this movement of the carriage` 3, wheels 2| are attached to the main frame I3. The wheels 2l travel in longitudinally extending tracks 23 which comprise a portion of the car-f Fan folded sheets'or forms 3l, shown by dotdash lines in Fig. 1, are usually fed 'to the manifold machine I over roll 33 from a suitable stor The fan folded sheetsage means (not shown). 3| extend around the blades 29, the folds being located adjacent the respective un-supported ends of the blades 29. In operation, the fan folded forms move transversely of the blades 29.

Each of the packets 25 includes a sheet of transfer material, comprising carbon paper 35 in the preferred embodiment, which is zig-zag fold' ed to form an'accordian pleat having a plurality of panels or pleats 31 of substantially identical dimensions. In order to prevent build-up of the packetl along the folded edges 38 of the pleats 31, the pleats are stacked inv offset relation and, in this connection, the pleats' are preferably arranged in steps as shown in Figure 2. As a result of this arrangement, a substantially flat packet is provided.

The sheet of carbon paper 35 has an uncar bonized face and is attached to a carrier or holder which in the present instance comprises a cover 39 having a top flap 4I and bottom flap 43.- The cover may be fabricated fromwax paper, Glas-l ene or other similar material and is folded along line 45 to provide a slot 41 which is proportioned to t over one of the flat blades 29 attached toA the carriage 3.

The carbon paper 35 is attached to the cover by a plurality of locking strips 49 which are fabricated from; tissue paper or the like and are glued to the bottom flap 43 of the cover 39. These strips 49 are also glued to the uncarbonized face of various of the pleats I31 of the carbon paper along glue lines 5I. The glue'should be thinly The blades 29- applied so that the carbon paper may be used without impaired efciency when impressed along these glue lines 5 l.

The locking. strips 49 vary in length in the preferred embodiment; of the invention shown in Figure 3, so as to prevent building up of the packet along the glue lines 5i, and, as a result of this offset disposition of the glue lines 5I, the flatness of the packet 25 is maintained.

In the illustrated packet 25, which is adapted for use with several commercially available manifold type machines, the locking stripsV 4S are attached to the cover 39 and to the uncarbonized face of every pleat 31. The forward free end of the carbon sheet 35 may be withdrawn from the packet 25 and used as shown in Figure l. However, only one pleat 31. may be unfolded due to the resisting action of the locking sheet connected to the next pleat. While in the preferred embodiment, the locking strips 49 are attached to every pleat, it will be understood that the strips may be connected atV other intervals, as desired. It is apparent from the foregoing that each locking strip i9 is operative to prevent unfolding of the associated pleat 31 and consequently, the preceding pleats.

While other types of locking strips 49 may be employed, tissue paper has proved to be sufficiently strong as the strain exerted on the strip is in tension and not in tear. Tissue paper is additionally desirable due to the fact that it dees not `substantially affect the efficiency of the carbon if not detached therefrom.

As pointed out, the forward portion of the carbon paper 35 is extended or pulled out for use, and the extended portion may be used and reused until worn out. However, when the extended portion of the carbon paper is no longer useful, additional paper must be supplied.

Fresh carbon paper is furnished by disconnecting the restraining locking strip 49 thereby furnishing an additional pleat 31 of carbon paper 35 ,for use. This seperation of the locking strip 49 is accomplished, in accordance with the invention, by disconnecting means comprising a thread 53 which is stitched into the tissue immediately adjacent the glue line 5I. A back stitch is used in the preferred vembodiment of the invention and is shown particularly in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings. When this stitch is used, either end of the thread 53 may be pulled and the locking strip 49 will be torn along the line of the stitch. In order to prevent the back stitch from unraveling, a spot of glue 55 is used to attach the ends of the thread 53 to the tissue.

Asv shown. in the drawingsthe stitch comprises a multiplicity of laterally aligned loops 55 which encircle portionsY 51'of the tissue. Thus when either end of the thread 53 is pulled, theseen'circled portions 51 are successively torn until the tissueis completely severed. Through this arrangement, additional carbonpaper may be provided without manual handling of the carbon paper. Moreover, when the packets 2,5. are superposed, fresh carbon paper may be provided vwith facility by pulling threads 53.

As shown particularly in Figure 3, the threads are disposed in staggered relation in order-tofacilitate grasping of the thread 53 by an operator of the manifold machine i.

For operation of the illustrated apparatus, the

fan-foldedforms 3l arefwithdrawn from' aI Stor-- age compartment (not shown), inserted over the flat blades 2S, as described, and are then pulled forwardly across the carriage 3'to the platen 1. The packets 25 are interleaved in the forms 3l and attached to the carriage 3, and this is done by fitting the blades 29 into the slots 41 and extending forwardly a pleat of each packet 25 to the platen 1. In this connection, usually about a dozen of the packets are used, providing as many reproductions of the typed impressions, however, only three are shown in Figure 1.

When the platen 1 is turned, the forms 3| and inter-leaved carbon sheets 35 are moved into position for typing and, at the same time, the carriage 3 is drawn forwardly. After the sheet 3| has been typed to the full length of the extended portion of the carbon sheet 35, the forms 3l are rigidly held independent of the carbon paper 35 and arm l5 is pushed rearwardly causing the carriage 3 and packets 25 to move simultaneously. Theforms 3l may then be torn off along the knife blade H and, in this connection, the forms 3l are usually provided with lines or perforations to facilitate tearing.

The extended portion of the carbon paper 35 may be repeatedly used in this manner, `but it becomes worn after a period. of time and, when this occurs, fresh carbon paper may be easily furnished by pulling the available ends of the threads 53 stitched into the restraining locking strip 49 of each packet 25, thereby releasing an additional pleat 31. Further pleats may be continually provided in this manner until all of the carbon paper 35 has been employed and it will be noted that connecting or linking sheets are not required to prevent wasting of the carbon paper. Y

Although butv one specific embodiment of thisv invention has been. herein shown and described, it will be understood that details of the construction shown may be altered Without departing from: the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims: Y Y y I claim:

1. A pack of transfer paper adapted for use with a manifold type machine comprising a holder, an elongated sheet of transfer paper zigzag folded to form accordian pleats having fold lines which extend generally normal to the length of said paper, locking strips connected to said holder and attached 'to certain of the pleats of said folded sheet so as to permit limited unfolding of said sheet but securing the attached pleats against unfolding in a longitudinal direc'- tion, and means for disconnecting each of said locking strips from said sheet thereby allowing a measured unfolding of said sheet.

2. A pack of carbon paper for use With a mani-Y foldtype machine comprising a holder adapted for attachment to said machine, an elongated sheet of carbon paper zig-zag folded to form accordian pleats having fold linesl which extend generally normal tothe lengthV of said paper and comprising pleatsv of approximately Aequal dimensions, said carbon paper sheet having an uncarbonized face, a plurality of longitudinally extending locking strips` attached to said holder and to the uncarbonized face of several of said pleats of carbon paper thereby` securing said carbon paper to said holder and limiting the unfolding of said sheetin a longitudinal direction, and means for disconnecting said locking strips from said: pleat to permit measuredA unfolding of said. .carbon paper'y said disconnecting means comprising a thread stitchedV into said locking strip so as to be removable by pulling one of the ends of said thread and thereby tearing saidl locking'strip.

3. A carbon. pack for use with a manifold type machine comprising a cover having top and bottom ilaps, an elongated sheet of carbon paper zig-zag folded to provide accordian pleats of approximately equal dimensions and fold lines which extend transversely of the length of said sheet, said carbon paper sheet having an uncarbonized face, one end of said carbon paper being detachably secured to said cover, the opposite end being free, longitudinally extending locking strips for connecting certain of the pleats to said cover to thereby prevent unfolding of connected pleats 1n a longitudinal direction, said locking strips being attached to the uncarbonized face of said carbon paper and to said cover, and means for severing said locking strips from said pleats, said severing means comprising thread stitched into said strip and removable by pulling one end of said thread in a transverse direction thereby causing said strip to be torn without damage to said carbon sheet, said ends extending outwardly of said carbon paper and said locking strips to form finger grips.

4. A carbon pack comprising a cover folded upon itself to provide top and bottom flaps, an elongated sheet of carbon paper zig-zag folded to provide accordian pleats of approximately equal dimensions disposed horizontally one above the other with their fold lines extending normal to the length of said sheet, one face of said carbon paper sheet being uncarbonized, one

end of said carbon paper sheet being connected to said cover and the opposite end of said carbon paper sheet being free to permit the lengthwise pulling of said sheet to unfold said pleats, longitudinally extending locking stripsmounted on and attached to said cover and glued to the uncarbonized face of certain of said pleats to secure said sheet against unfolding relative to said cover in a longitudinal direction, and manually operable means attached to each of said locking strips for severing said strips to permit the unfolding of said pleats.

5. A carbon pack comprising a cover folded upon itself to provide top and bottom flaps, an elongated sheet of carbon paper zig-zag folded to provide accordian pleats of approximately equal dimensions disposed horizontally one above the other with their fold lines extending normal to the length of `said sheet, one face of said carbon paper sheet being uncarbonized, one end -of said carbon paper sheet being connected to said cover and the opposite end of said carbon paper sheet being free to permit the lengthwise pulling of said sheet to unfold said pleats, locking strips mounted on and attached to said cover and glued to the uncarbonized faceof certain of said pleats to secure said sheet against unfolding, and manually operable means attached to each of said locking strips for severing said strips to permit the unfolding of said pleats, said sever'- ing means comprising a thread stitched into said strip and removable by pulling one end of said thread in a transverse direction thereby causing said strip to be torn.

JOHN A. HECKMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,161,144 Douglas June 6, 1939 2,292,343 McAlvin Aug. 4, 1942 2,363,661 Feitl Nov. 28, 1944 2,387,667 Leibfritz Oct. 23, 1945 2,508,621 Petit May 23, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS vNumber Country Date 552,815 France Jan. 30, 1923 

